X-bit labs

High-End CPU Coolers Roundup: The Battle for Silence and Efficiency (page 7)

Category: Coolers

by Anton Shilov , Alexey Stepin

[ 02/24/2005 | 05:58 PM ]

Gigabyte 3D Rocket PCU22-SE: Skyrocketing Cooling

First Glance

Gigabyte, who is mostly known for its mainboards and graphics cards, makes coolers of rather untraditional shape which it calls rocket coolers. The products do look impressive and unusual in their large plastic boxes, but the main peculiarity of Gigabyte’s 3D Rocket coolers has always been compatibility with virtually all types of platforms that are available on the market.

The package traditionally includes a set of things that may be needed for hassle-free installation: clips, bolts, nipples, a tube of thermal grease from Shin Etsu as well as a setup guidebook in different languages. Unfortunately, the latter does not provide fine illustrations, even though with some general knowledge you should be able to conduct the process of installation easily.

The process of unpacking the product is easy and does not require any use of force, as in the case of CoolerMaster’s cooler.

Gigabyte gives a special adapter that reduces its fan’s voltage to 9V and decelerates its speed so that to make it a bit quieter. Maybe, the idea is not bad, but perhaps it was more logical to integrate a heat sensor inside the fan and adjust the speed dynamically? Well, on more expensive models Gigabyte provides a 3.5” panel that allows controlling the speed of the fan.

Specifications